Love Is A Tricky Thing
by HermioneGtheOboePlayer
Summary: Everyone has heard the Prince's Tale, but no one knows about the rest of his story. Snape was harassed by his father when he was young and tormented constantly by the Marauders at school. Poor guy must have an interesting story, right? T to be safe.


I had this moment of truth called an obsessive ship come to me. I know, I know, you guys are probably thinking,"You haven't even updated Against All Odds or 19 Years Later in ages and you're writing a new fanfic!?" Truth be told, I am shot for ideas on 19 Years Later and I am truly not feeling up to writing up another reaping. I do hope that this Snily fic makes you happy.

* * *

"Sev! Wake up! We have to change into our robes!"

Severus Snape opened his eyes blearily to the sight of his long time best friend (and crush, but she didn't know that) Lily Evans.

"Hi Lily," he said, stretching out his long, lanky legs and yawning. She started to laugh at him for no apparent reason, so he just smiled, which somehow made her laugh even harder. "What are you laughing about?" he asked, cocking his head.

She giggled as she rummaged through her trunk and pulled out a mirror. He burst out in laughter as he looked at himself. Lily, at least he thought it was Lily, had drawn a mustache and a beard on him. **(Imagine him like he is drawn in the books and you have what it looked like) **He laughed and looked over at Lily. "Did you do this?" he asked.

She shook her head, "No, James Potter did." Severus didn't miss the dreamy look in her eyes as she said his name. Great, this wouldn't help his case in the least. He frowned deeply. "You do realize that I can't get this off right?" he said. Suddenly, she turned serious as she looked at him surprised.

"Didn't your mum teach you magic ahead of time? She was a pure blood after all." Severus winceThad memories of what happened whenever his mother had tried. It was as if his father had alarms throughout the house; how else could he know when he or his mother were using magic?

* * *

**_Elaine_!**

Severus' mother looked horrified. Her husband sounded drunk. What was worse, she had been attempting magic. She knew what was going to happen, but only the basics, he changed his punishments every time.

She hesitantly walked downstairs to the sight of her son gagged on the floor. She gasped and ran up to him, only to find her path blocked. Severus' eyes glistened with tears as he watched his mother being thrown to the side. Even with the gag, you could hear his suppressed scream. Tobias, who had bent over Elaine, hand drawn back into a fist, turned his anger onto Severus. He watched as his father stumbled off.

The only thought in his mind as he watched his father go was Lily. He was positive that he was going to die to night and worried how she would take it. Severus was prepared though and had written a will at the age of five and updated it when he gained a friendship with Lily. He knew that one day this day would come, but he always imagined peacefully being set free from the horrible world that he lived in and have no one remember him, not dearly missing a friend who he hoped would miss him just the same. He silently thanked himself for writing goodbye letters to Lily and his mother.

That is why when Tobias came back with a gun, Severus was not surprised or scared. He closed his eyes as he felt the cold barrel against his forehead and listened to the gunshot. He opened his eyes hesitantly to the sight of his mother dead on the floor and his father unconscious nearby. Stifling a sob, Severus ran upstairs to grab his trunk of ready school supplies and belongings that his mother insisted that he always kept with him incase this day ever came. He rushed downstairs with his mother's jar of money with him. She did not have much to spare considering that she was destitute, but she had managed to set aside five galleons for him incase of an emergency.

As Severus walked down Spinner's End, he calculated that he had enough money to stay a month at the Leaky Cauldron. He would have to find a job before a month was over because he still had to pay for toiletries and food. If only he had some fat or age on him then maybe it would be easier to obtain a job, but not many places, wizarding or muggle, would hire a seven year old.

As Severus passed the Evans' house, his thoughts were switched back to Lily. He couldn't tell her what had happened, for that would just make her pity him. He thought for a second before pulling out a quill and parchment. He left a letter on her doorstep for her to find the next morning.

* * *

It wasn't until the next day that Severus reached the Leaky Cauldron. He entered, rented a room, and promptly fell asleep with his bag laying unpacked at his feet.

* * *

"Lily!" a voice called.

Lily hopped out of bed and greeted her mother. "What is it?" she asked.

"You received a letter from Severus in the mail this morning." Petunia turned her nose up at the sound of Sev's name and whispered freak as she passed Lily. Taking the letter, Lily turned to leave, sending a glare to Petunia as she went.

As soon as Lily shut the door, she opened her letter. _Now what could possibly be so urgent that he couldn't wait to talk to me?_ she thought. The letter read:

_My dearest Lily,_

_I know that you are confused by this point as to why I have written you. My mother and father decided to move last night to London. I will not be able to say goodbye so I wrote this instead._

_Don't fret, we will see each other again. You are a witch after all! I can't wait to go to Hogwarts! I already am missing you as I write, but this is important. Inside you will find a green ribbon. I give this to you in the hopes that you will not forget me in the time it takes us to get our letters._

_Best Friends Always,_

_Severus_

By the end of his letter, Lily was in tears. She was not aware of her friend's predicament at home; she thought he had a family similar to hers. She threw letter down in anger. How could Sev's parents just decide to move in the middle of the night and not give him the chance to say goodbye to his friend? She reached into the envelope again and, as promised, found a green ribbon. She tied it in her hair and vowed not to go a day without wearing it until the day she boarded the train to Hogwarts. She then thought for a second and pulled it out. She wanted to right his name on it so she knew what it represented, but, to her surprise, found a note already there.

_Remember our friendship Severus._

Lily stared down at the spidery signature and promptly put the ribbon back in her hair before going down stairs to tell her parents the news.

* * *

It had been a week and a half since Severus had left and he still hadn't found a job. He sat down on his bed and thought hard. He grinned as an idea came to mind.

"Excuse me?" he asked the owner, Tom. "Do you have any jobs available?"

"In fact I do. I was hoping that I could get a hand filing some papers."

"Do you think I could take the job?"

"Sure my boy!"

"Thank you!"

At last he had a way to survive. When his letter arrived, he was prepared and excited to go. He bade Tom goodbye as he left for King's Cross Station.

* * *

"Sev!" Lily snapped her fingers in front of Severus' face to stop his daydreaming. It was then that she realized that she was still wearing his ribbon and took the opportunity to hastily take it out. It wasn't until she had safely hidden it did he come out of his trance. He smiled at her, hiding the hurt as he done learned to do at a young age.

"To Hogwarts we go then!" he said with a grin as he grabbed his robes and left the compartment with a smiling Lily in it.

* * *

Yet again, sorry for not updating the others, but I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Love Is A Tricky Thing! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!


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